The letter, which was addressed to Kristian Berg Harpviken, director of the Peace Research Institute of Oslo, noted the tycoon's "vigorous peace through strength ideology, used as a threat weapon of deterrence against radical Islam, ISIS, nuclear Iran and Communist China.”

The Nobel Institute receives thousands of nominations for the prestigious award each year from government officials, former laureates and some university professors. The institute accepts all valid nominations, which are generally kept secret.

It is not clear who nominated Trump, who has been internationally condemned for suggesting a halt to Muslim immigration to the U.S.

Other notable nominees rumored to be in the running are Pope Francis, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Nadia Murad, who escaped from Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) captivity and has become a champion for the women enslaved by the terrorist group.

The 2015 prize was given to four Tunisian groups that led the democratization of the nation.

President Obama won the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize for his “extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between people.”